By Dawn Chmielewski
LOS ANGELES, Aug 5 (Reuters) – Disney said the success of “Toy Story 5” extended beyond the box office in the June quarter, as the hit film fueled sales of merchandise, boosted engagement on the Disney+ streaming service and attracted more theme park visitors.
Shares of the company rose nearly 2% in midday trading on Wednesday after the results.
CEO Josh D’Amaro, who took over in March, highlighted his strategy to invest in franchises like Toy Story to reach audiences outside the box office in a lengthy earnings letter to shareholders on Wednesday.
Separately, Disney and TikTok announced a deal on Wednesday that will allow TikTok creators to use characters and scenes from Disney movies and TV shows in short-form videos, the first agreement of its kind between the social media platform and a traditional media company.
The company reported revenue of $25.2 billion in the quarter, up 7% from last year, but shy of Wall Street’s forecasts of $25.4 billion, according to analysts surveyed by LSEG.
Disney’s per-share earnings rose 28% from a year ago to an adjusted $2.06, beating forecasts of $1.86 a share.
The company said it would sell its 50% stake in A+E Global Media to co-owner Hearst Corporation, and use the estimated $1.2 billion in cash proceeds to repurchase Disney shares. This will increase the value of its fiscal 2026 share repurchases to at least $9 billion.
Disney’s Parks and experiences division reported revenue of nearly $10 billion, up 10% from a year ago, fueled by a 4% increase in attendance at its theme parks globally and a 3% increase at its domestic parks.
Analysts had expressed concern about Disney’s U.S. parks, after Comcast attributed softening attendance trends at its Universal theme parks in Orlando to higher fuel prices and weaker consumer sentiment.
Operating income for the experiences segment rose to $3 billion, a 20% gain from a year ago, in part reflecting a $100 million tariff refund it received earlier in the quarter. The U.S. Treasury Department has been issuing refunds after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s global tariffs as illegal.
Disney’s Entertainment group reported $11.3 billion in revenue for the quarter, a gain of 6% from a year earlier, reflecting the performance of “Toy Story” and a 15% increase in subscription fees for the company’s Disney+ and Hulu streaming services. Segment operating income rose 64% to nearly $1.7 billion.
D’Amaro said during an investor call that Disney+ would continue to evolve, adding games, merchandise and other experiences. He said the company also is considering launching a free streaming product to reach consumers who are price sensitive, which could potentially entice more people to subscribe to Disney+.
Sports reported revenue of $4.5 billion in the quarter, though income from the four-game sweeps that marked the early rounds of the NBA playoffs contributed to lower-than-anticipated operating income, which fell 17% to $858 million.
Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston told investors that the company has sold out its advertising inventory for Super Bowl LXI in February.
Disney said it expects fourth-quarter segment operating income of $4.9 billion. This guidance reflects anticipated continued healthy growth in its parks group.
However, the weak box office performance of the live-action adaptation of “Moana” would impact results for the entertainment segment.
(Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Sanjeev Miglani)
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